Wire mesh conveyor belts comprised of a plurality of interlocked zig zag strands or links have been known in the prior art and have been in use for many years. Such belts have found wide use in many different manufacturing processes and apparatus. In a typical application, this type of wire mesh belt is joined together at its ends to form an endless conveyor belt. The belts are driven around one or more pulleys.
Wire mesh conveyor belts are configured to provide support to the articles which carried thereon. In addition, many wire mesh conveyor belts are configured to have openings which air or fluid to flow therethrough. In use, the wire mesh conveyor belts carry the loads and have force applied thereto by the pulleys and the like, which can result in undesired deformation and/or stretching along the length of the belt. This can also result in an excessive camber, deformation or bow across the width of the belt. This is particularly evident on wire mesh conveyor belts which are used in high temperature environments. These deformations can cause the wire mesh conveyor belts to become ineffective and in need of replacement.
Accordingly, what is needed is a cost-effective wire mesh belt that is sufficiently rigid and durable to resist stretching, camber or deformation to prevent the unwanted replacement of the belts.